A new Banas Bio-CNG Model Plant was inaugurated at Vinchhiwadi in Dhanera taluka of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on 26 August 2026. The facility is a joint initiative of Banas Dairy, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The event also included a Bio-CNG filling station and the launch of India’s first rural cooperative-model “Gramin Bharat Taxi” service with nine vehicles.
Bio-CNG and its production process
Bio-CNG, or compressed biogas, is produced from organic waste through anaerobic digestion. Cattle dung is a common feedstock in dairy-linked biogas plants, and the process generates biogas and organic manure as by-products. The new plant at Vinchhiwadi is designed to process up to 100 metric tonnes of cattle dung per day (MTPD).
Cooperative model and rural energy projects
Banas Dairy operates a cooperative dairy network in Banaskantha district, which is one of the major milk-producing regions of Gujarat. The Suzuki-backed bio-CNG initiative has been associated with an investment of ₹250 crore. The cooperative’s bio-CNG network expanded from its first plant at Dama to four operational plants, with a combined daily capacity of 340 metric tonnes.
Associated institutions and officials
The inauguration was attended by Toshihiro Suzuki, Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Shankar Chaudhary, Chairman of Banas Dairy, and Minesh Patel, Chairman of NDDB. NDDB is a statutory institution established in 1965 and headquartered in Anand, Gujarat. Suzuki Motor Corporation is a Japanese automobile manufacturer founded in 1909.
Important Facts for Exams
- Banaskantha district is located in north-western Gujarat and includes Dhanera and Vav-Tharad talukas.
- Bio-CNG plants use anaerobic digestion, a process that works without oxygen.
- Organic manure from biogas plants is used as fertiliser in agriculture.
- NDDB was established in 1965 under the National Dairy Development Board Act.
Earlier related project
On 6 December 2025, another 100-MTPD Banas Suzuki Biogas Plant was inaugurated in the Vav-Tharad area of Banaskantha. The new plant forms part of a wider waste-to-wealth programme linked to dairy-based bio-energy production.
